An uncomfortable test that is well worth it.
Oncologists recommend that men and women aged 50 and older follow this schedule for colorectal cancer testing:
Flexible signoidoscopy, every five years, or
Colonoscopy, every ten years, or
Double contrast barium enema, every five to ten years.
Each time one of the above tests is done, you should also have a digital rectal exam. In addition, the Cancer Society recommends a yearly faecal occult blood test. The choice of test depends on your preference and your family and personal medical history. Consult your doctor to determine when and how often you should be tested if you are at high risk due to:
Colorectal cancer or polyps in a first-degree relative (mother, father, sibling) younger than 60, or in two first-degree relatives of any age a family with hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes a personal history of colorectal cancer or adenomatous polyps a personal history of chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers—and one of the most deadly. If detected early enough, however, the five-year survival rate is 92 percent. But while tests to screen for the disease exist, many people avoid them because they are embarrassed to ask about them and the tests are somewhat uncomfortable. Yet if you keep to the schedule of regular tests mentioned above, you can improve your doctor’s chances of identifying potentially cancerous growths in the colon before they become malignant.
First, an enema or laxatives will be used to empty the colon. Then a sigmoid scope—thin, hollow, flexible, lighted tube — will be inserted into the rectum and through the bowel, and used to inspect the rectum and lower colon for cancer or polyps. (Polyps are small growths that can become cancerous.) While the test may not be much fun, it isn’t painful and ten minutes of discomfort far outweigh the consequences of undiagnosed cancer.
Colonoscopy – A colon scope is a flexible, lighted tube that is longer than a sigmoid scope and lets the doctor see further up the colon through the use of a video camera and display. If a polyp is found, your doctor may remove it, since even non-cancerous polyps can cause bleeding. Likewise, any abnormal-looking tissue may be removed for biopsy to determine whether it is benign, cancerous, or a result of inflammation.
The test, while not painful, may be uncomfortable, so you’ll get an intravenous drug to relax you. A colonoscopy is usually done if a signoidoscopy has detected polyps or the person is at higher risk. For this test, barium sulphate, a chalky material that partially fills and opens up the colon, is given in the anus. You lay on an X-ray table, and you’ll be turned to allow the barium to spread throughout the colon. Air is inserted to expand the colon before X-rays are taken. This test can detect a constriction in the colon.
